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On 1 June, WBB Trust organized a seminar on noise pollution as part of World Environment Day celebrations hosted by the Bangladesh Environment Movement (BAPA).

20 April was International Noise Awareness Day. Bangladesh celebrated the day with a number of activities, including a banner campaign on 5-6 April organized by Ushika and WBB Trust, a human chain involving children with hearing loss on 8 April organized by Sunder Jibon, SAHIC and the Noise Pollution Reduction Committee, a demonstration on the 10th organized by Bangladesh Shashikha Parisad, and a seminar on the 20th, organized by Bangladesh Society for Conservation of the Environment and the Noise Pollution Reduction Committee.

At the end of December 2004, WBB and partner organizations organized a highly-publicized protest demanding immediate passage of the noise pollution control regulations to save the people from the harmful effects of noise pollution.

WBB plays an active role in the Committee to Reduce Noise Pollution.  The Committee regularly organizes workshops to better understand the issues involved and to discuss ways that NGOs can work to reduce the problem.  WBB has also collected laws governing noise pollution and published a booklet (in Bengali only) on laws about noise pollution and people's role in decreasing it.

On 31 March 2003, 32 people from several NGOs gathered at WBB to learn about the consequences to health, the environment, and the economy of noise pollution; to learn about the current legal situation regarding noise pollution; and to engage in group work to plan various activities.

In order to learn more about the problems caused by noise pollution and some of the solutions being implemented worldwide, WBB conducted a website search.  The results of the search reveal the huge nature of the problem, and a variety of innovative solutions to reduce it.  WBB has also measured levels of noise pollution throughout Dhaka.

Report on Noise Pollution in Dhaka City
In order to understand more fully about the problems Dhaka residents suffer from noise pollution, and to investigate possible solutions, WBB carried out an intensive research project, May-July 2002.  WBB conducted a survey of 2,500 people (1,000 students, 1,000 adults, and 500 drivers) and organized two focus groups to learn more about people's attitudes towards noise pollution, and possible solutions.  WBB also interviewed various doctors to obtain expert opinions on the problem of noise pollution, and gathered other information about the situation in Dhaka.  The participants agreed that noise pollution is a huge problem in Dhaka, requiring serious attention, and said they suffer from many problems as a result, including headache, bad temper, and trouble concentrating. 

WBB has published an extensive report in Bangla and English covering our research, other information, and recommendations to reduce the problem.  The report highlights the gravity of the problem of noise pollution in Dhaka, the types of problems that noise pollution causes, and ways that individuals, NGOs, media, and the Government can work together to reduce noise.  To obtain a hard copy (Bengali and English) please contact us; click here to download a copy in English only.

A press conference to release the report was broadcast on the news of three TV stations, and the report was discussed in over 20 newspapers.  WBB has also aired radio programs that address the issue of noise pollution.